Jamie Carragher has come out to personally dismiss every comparison between Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta and Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The former Liverpool star doesn't think Arteta qualifies as a legend in the way Solskjaer and others do for their respective clubs. He said:
He added:
Carragher also commended the Arsenal coach for his capacity to understand the evolving game, rather than sticking to emotion and tradition. He explained:
The Liverpool legend seems to be implying that Mikel Arteta holds on to his Arsenal job on the merits of his work and not because of fan affection. This could be interpreted as a sly dig at the Manchester United legend who has struggled to make headway with a world-class squad this season.
Performances this season have also backed up Carragher's words, with Arsenal surging out of relegation doldrums and into the fight for continental positions. Manchester United, on the other hand, look out of sorts and unable to string two wins together.
Since Jurgen Klopp took the reins at Anfield, Arsenal have beaten Liverpool just once. Notably, Arsenal have not won at Anfield in nearly a decade but the Gunners are currently in their best form. Arteta could potentially take advantage of that and drag all three points from Liverpool's grasp at Anfield today.
However, he knows that his side face a serious challenge. Arteta said:
Arteta added: